*5-Star Salsas and Sauces*

As of the end of summer 2015, I have yet to find a home-run salsa served to me at a restaurant but these salsas or sauces are easy enough to buy or make on your own and can turn your “just ok” taco into an “I need this every day taco”.

The Legendary Orange Sauce: I cannot stress enough how amazing this salsa is! I make it in double batches and get about 3 1/2 mason jars worth. It still only lasts me about 2 weeks. I feel somewhat reluctant to post a link to the recipe here as I would much prefer you to go buy the Tacolicious Cookbook but seeing as the creators of Tacolicious have posted it themselves, I’ll give them the full credit here. But seriously, the book pays for itself with just the Orange Sauce and Taco Pickles recipes. Go get it right meow if you have any intention of stepping up your at home taco game.

Gringo Bandito: This hot sauce has been my go to all summer. I keep it in my purse. I’m not even joking. The couple of times I have taken it out at home and forgot to return it to its rightful spot, my boyfriend has swooped in and snatched it for his backpack hot sauce stash. Gringo Bandito is a medium heat sauce with a smoky, vinegar base and habanero and jalapeno peppers giving it the kick. It’s hard to come by but you can order it online.

Killer Swarm: For those that like stupid hot, check out PexPeppers Killer Swarm. Made with moruga scorpion peppers, this hot sauce has significant heat but also versatility due to its sweetness. Rated a 15 out of 10 on the PexPepper heat scale, it is definitely not for the faint of tongue.

Pace Picante: You can’t go wrong with good old fashioned Pace. While it is definitely not the hottest salsa on the market, I strongly believe it has the best flavor out of any supermarket salsas. I’m partial to the Hot Chunky version but I go through this salsa so fast that I need to buy it by the half-gallon which only comes in the Medium Chunky. The great thing about this salsa though is with its pretty neutral flavor, you can add your own heat with something like the aforementioned Killer Swarm or Gringo Bandito.